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Are there Black people in Spain? 7 Black Spanish People to Know

To assume that Spain, being a Western European country, is 100% white is not only incorrect, but also doing a disservice the generations of Afro-Spaniards who have contributed to this country’s history, present, and future. Most people forget that Spain had not one, but two colonies in Africa: Equatorial Guinea until 1968 and Western Sahara until 1975. There are generations of Afro-Spanish people living all over the country and others, born to immigrant parents, who are just as Spanish as any other José or María.

Many Afro-Spaniards have expressed their frustration at being “othered” in their home country. They’re often asked why the speak Spanish so well, or where they’re really from, or even told to — wait for the irony— go back to their country.

According to an article in El País, Spain’s most popular newspaper, the estimate is around 1 million Afro-Spaniards living in the country. This number doesn’t include other expats of color like myself.

So really, are there Black people in Spain?

Ab-so-freaking-lutely!

Now, we all know, Black people, we are resilient, creative, dynamic, adaptable and frankly, we stay changing the game. Why would these dope Afro-Spaniards be any different? Obviosuly, this list is an introduction to a few Afro-Spanish people that have been on our radar for a while now. There are so many more creatives, entrepreneurs, artists, and activists to support!

Lucía is, and has been, a constant figure in the scene here. She’s a Black Spanish TV host and personality. She’s an accomplished journalist having written for and collaborated with the main Spanish newspaper El País When she’s not on TV conducting interviews on Aquí la Tierra on TVE , you can find her speaking at conferences, or collaborating with the platform Afroféminas.

Moha is a force. That’s all we can say. He’s a staff writer at El Diario, one of Spain’s more liberal publications. He’s also the president of SOS Racismo. He is from Huesca, Spain with Gambian roots. Peep his Twitter, and join the other 50k followers he has!

Rubén has a remarkable story. He is Spanish, born to two White-Spanish parents, but alas, he is Black! He has a regal afro, and dons an Extremadura accent. Buy his book, “Y tú, ¿por qué tú eres negro?” You can catch Rubén speaking on panels around the country and championing the rights of fellow POCs.

Sol, where do we even start? She’s about that life. She uses her medium to be an activist, not just a creative. She’s a Black photographer in Barcelona. She’s vocal about paying artists what they deserve, and about supporting your up-and-coming creatives. She’s been featured in The New York Times and Paper Magazine.

Not only is El Chojín handsome, charismatic, and brilliant, he’s also a very nice person. We’ve had the pleasure of meeting him on a couple of occasion and he’s always so humble and approachable. Want to learn more about one of the world’s fastest rappers? Keep reading to find out 4 interesting things about him!El Chojín is Spain’s fastest rapper.

That, my friends, it Black People Magic if I’ve ever seen it! I feel inspired, how about you? This list, it doesn’t have to stop here. Click the links, check out their work and support their projects. Lift one another up!